- Wednesday, 10 November 1993, at 12:00
Northern Ireland Downing Street Joint Declaration (1993)
This project models the series of formal and informal negotiations which led to the publication, in December 1993, of a declaration issued jointly by the British and Irish Governments. The Joint Declaration was a critical policy document which paved the way for a ceasefire and the entry of Sinn Féin into formal talks. It also laid out a shared set of principles – including, crucially, self-determination for the people of Ireland subject to the consent of the people of Northern Ireland – which would come to underpin the Belfast Good Friday Agreement and provide a framework for its ratification.
British Government
This committee has been created to model internal British Government documents and meetings.
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Session 21751: 1993-11-10 12:00:00
[Exact time unknown] Quentin Thomas reported JD13, and prepared a paper analysing its contents.
Membership (at session start):
Michael Ancram, Kenneth Baker, Tony Beeton, David Blatherwick, John Blelloch, Ian Burns, Robin Butler, John Chilcot, Ken Clarke, David Cooke, Jim Daniell, Timothy Daunt, John Deverell, David Fell, William Fittall, David Gillmore, Christopher Glyn-Jones, Richard Gozney, Michael Howard, Douglas Hurd, Roderic Lyne, John Major, Jonathan Margetts, Peter May, Patrick Mayhew, John McConnell, David McIlroy , Danny McNeill, R. O. Miles, Anthony Pawson, Christopher Prentice , Stephen Rickard, Malcolm Rifkind , A W Stephens, Jonathan Stephens, Quentin Thomas, Stephen Wall (37 total)
Representing 1 delegations:
Imported Documents
- Joint Declaration: JD13 (e1070904) imports from Informal British-Irish Bilaterals,
on Tuesday, 09 November 1993, at 12:00
Imported Amendments
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Exported Amendments
Resources (5):
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Resource Items (5):
Enclosure: Analysis of JD13 - (file)
Thomas gives analysis of new Irish draft of JD. Shows attempt to disentangle JDI from Hume. Shows sensitivity to Unionist fears/willingness to amend Irish Constit. since elements are resented by Unionists. This is less one-sided than pre. drafts. Shows effort of Irish gov. to encourage Provisionals to abandon armed struggle. Unionists will likely not be interested by the language of the doc. which is designed to accomodate them in a united Ireland.
Enclosure: Commentary on the Joint Declaration (JD13) - (file)
Comparison of the changes between the previous draft (JD11) and this new Irish draft of the Joint Declaration (JD13). No omissions are noted from the previous document and all additions indicate an effort to bring Unionists onside. It still omits the constitutional guarantee and does not recognise NI as part of the United Kingdom, tempering the effect of these efforts. Questions are posed about the suitability of the text for the Provisionals, the British Government, constitutional Unionists, and Loyalists and also about whether the Irish government is fully committed to it.
Enclosure: Joint Declaration JD13 Annotated Copy - (file)
JD13 with Thomas' underlines and sidelines of passages added since the last Irish text (JD11).
Letter from Quentin Thomas to Robin Butler Enclosing a Copy of and a Commentary on JD13 - (file)
Letter sent by Quentin Thomas to Robin Butler with comments on the Irish perception of the prospects of its new draft of the Joint Declaration (JD13) ahead of the the Butler/Nally group meeting the following day. JD13 was conveyed to Quentin Thomas by Seán Ó hUiginn on 9th November 1993 (the evening before). It is also copied to Roderic Lyne, John Sawers, and Jonathan Stephens
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